familiarity and references: the foundation of easy improv
I've been involved in this thread on the Forge about a game called Dead of Night , which has highlighted some interesting differences from my accustomed play. In the thread, everyone (GM and players alike) relies heavily on a shared vision of what a game session is supposed to produce, based on common, familiar references. Creepy Horror Movies, the place we all live, etc. Having these as a foundation makes it easy for the players and GM to just play their characters -- they know what sorts of things the characters should do, and what sorts of situations should arise, without having to consult anything or discuss at length.
I've endeavored to create the same level of agreement in Delve, but I've been missing that element of familiarity. My players and I have never shopped, hunted, travelled, corresponded, or looked for work in medieval Europe.
As for character motive, "just do what you would do" is easy enough, but doesn't really apply to facing down danger. "Play yourself, but less risk averse" isn't really "play yourself" at all.
I have a nagging instinct that says, "Of course play is easy when you're going for emulation. None of that applies when you simulate an untidy reality and play characters who are rationally responsive first and foremost."
Still, it begs the question: what exactly is a session (or series of a few) supposed to produce? Not just in terms of "what happened" factually, but in terms of what that was like. Sometimes I want to answer, "it should be like real life", and other times I think, "but real life isn't a game."
Even "real life with the boring parts edited out" can come in distinct flavors. Indiana Jones and X-Files were my first two thoughts for references, but it's pretty clear that neither is suited to serve as a guiding principle the way Cinema Horror does in Dead of Night.
A Delve scenario can resemble an X-Files episode in many ways, but I'm wary of trying to make Delve "a game that does X-Files". I mean, if my goal were to make a game that does X-Files, I'd be giving the players tons of knowledge the characters didn't have, demanding that they act like Mulder and Scully, and constantly rearranging the facts of the world to provide for situation resolution every session.
I just don't see how play can produce both a realistic simulation and a concise dramatic structure at once. I dunno, maybe that's a good Holy Grail to aim for...
I've endeavored to create the same level of agreement in Delve, but I've been missing that element of familiarity. My players and I have never shopped, hunted, travelled, corresponded, or looked for work in medieval Europe.
As for character motive, "just do what you would do" is easy enough, but doesn't really apply to facing down danger. "Play yourself, but less risk averse" isn't really "play yourself" at all.
I have a nagging instinct that says, "Of course play is easy when you're going for emulation. None of that applies when you simulate an untidy reality and play characters who are rationally responsive first and foremost."
Still, it begs the question: what exactly is a session (or series of a few) supposed to produce? Not just in terms of "what happened" factually, but in terms of what that was like. Sometimes I want to answer, "it should be like real life", and other times I think, "but real life isn't a game."
Even "real life with the boring parts edited out" can come in distinct flavors. Indiana Jones and X-Files were my first two thoughts for references, but it's pretty clear that neither is suited to serve as a guiding principle the way Cinema Horror does in Dead of Night.
A Delve scenario can resemble an X-Files episode in many ways, but I'm wary of trying to make Delve "a game that does X-Files". I mean, if my goal were to make a game that does X-Files, I'd be giving the players tons of knowledge the characters didn't have, demanding that they act like Mulder and Scully, and constantly rearranging the facts of the world to provide for situation resolution every session.
I just don't see how play can produce both a realistic simulation and a concise dramatic structure at once. I dunno, maybe that's a good Holy Grail to aim for...